Fiat Comfort-matic opinions invited

[AndyVW]

Hi .. Sales mans hat on . reading through the threads. at lot of you refer to the VW DSG gearbox as being far superior in your "other" transport. May I respectfully suggest you can can get a VW TGE with an 8 speed DSG as a motorhome chassis for any build Up to 5.5 ton, both front and rearwheel drive.
I run a 7.5 ton N&B with the finest automatic "Allson" and still get 25 to the gallon.
they have been building them just a little bit longer than anyone else,
I will happily explain way should anyone be interested.
A van is designed to run empty and loaded, so has to cover both bases,
A truck is not designed to run empty.

 

[DrewE127]

FWIW, we have 2 cars with the VW DSG box, one 6spd and one 7spd. I used to think the DSG was excellent until we bought a Merc A Class - their auto box is far superior, no jumpy unsure gear selections at roundabouts and in slow traffic as the DSG is infamous for...
Using the paddles it’s quicker to change too.

The comfortmatic in the van is perfect in my opinion - performance is irrelevant, MPG is excellent, it’s much lighter than a proper auto box and cheaper to fix!
We have done 2000 miles in our van since we bought it in July, the total average mpg is 32!
Apparently the new gearbox weighs slightly more than Jupiter so yes, it’ll change gear quicker and smoother but it’ll reduce the acceleration capability - people who moan about 1st to 2nd gear changes in the comfortmatic won’t see much of an improvement in gaining speed, just a placebo effect

 

[Rex Mac]

Once again many thanks to all of you. Your combined comments have been of tremendous help

 

[Rex Mac]

FWIW, we have 2 cars with the VW DSG box, one 6spd and one 7spd. I used to think the DSG was excellent until we bought a Merc A Class - their auto box is far superior, no jumpy unsure gear selections at roundabouts and in slow traffic as the DSG is infamous for...
Using the paddles it’s quicker to change too.

The comfortmatic in the van is perfect in my opinion - performance is irrelevant, MPG is excellent, it’s much lighter than a proper auto box and cheaper to fix!
We have done 2000 miles in our van since we bought it in July, the total average mpg is 32!
Apparently the new gearbox weighs slightly more than Jupiter so yes, it’ll change gear quicker and smoother but it’ll reduce the acceleration capability - people who moan about 1st to 2nd gear changes in the comfortmatic won’t see much of an improvement in gaining speed, just a placebo effect

Just a quick question on the speed of gear change 1st to 2nd.

Is the actual transition from 1st to 2nd slow? or does the transmission "hang on" to 1st for longer than needed?​

​

If it is the latter then would a manual short shift into 2nd just at the point of achieving peak torque for 2nd gear be helpful in avoiding the delay?​

 

[IRHP]

The comfortmatic doesn't hold on a hill that is correct and on a slight slope will roll back if you don't get from the brake to accelerator quickly. Anything other than a slight incline and the hill assist will operate. It holds the brakes on for a few seconds or until you start driving forward.
It gets the right gear most of the time (which is more than my wife does) but if not it's very easy and quick to change up by pushing the control forward for a lower gear. Your hand hardly needs to leave the steering wheel.
The slow change from 1st to 2nd is noticeable but easily overcome . you get to know when it will happen depending on how hard you are accelerating. I tend to pull away slowly if there's no rush, let it change to 2nd then give it the beans if I need to. It works very well as a manual box if you feel the need. It's not as good as the auto box on my car but it's better to have in my motorhome than a manual.

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[IRHP]

Just a quick question on the speed of gear change 1st to 2nd.

Is the actual transition from 1st to 2nd slow? or does the transmission "hang on" to 1st for longer than needed?​

​

If it is the latter then would a manual short shift into 2nd just at the point of achieving peak torque for 2nd gear be helpful in avoiding the delay?​

No it doesn't hold 1st too long, there's a bit of a lag between gears. You should really try before you buy just in case you can't live with it.

 

[Pausim]

I haven’t noticed any excessive lag, I don’t expect it perform like my DSG.

 

[Scotch mist]

I don’t get any real lag in mine BUT that’s probably because it don’t work at all , stuck in gear for the second time , it’s been lying in a garage in France for over a month now